Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 24 November 2015
595. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he has met with the ride-sharing company, Uber, in relation to its entry into the Irish market; the purpose and outcomes of these meetings and if he believes Uber's ride-sharing services will be fully compliant with Irish public transport and health and safety regulations. [41822/15]
View answerI met with representatives of Uber on 21st October. At the meeting Uber briefed me on the development of their smartphone applications, the establishment of its Centre of Excellence in Limerick, with the creation of 300 jobs, and Uber's future plans including the development of its ride-sharing service. I welcomed the investment that Uber has made in Limerick and noted that Uber's existing services in Ireland fully meet the legal and licensing requirements of the National Transport Authority. In relation to Uber's ridesharing service, I indicated that at present such a service would not comply with our primary legislation, specifically the Taxi Regulation Act 2013, and that unlike some other countries Ireland's taxi and hackney market is very much an open market. Along with officials from my Department, I undertook to examine the issue further, bearing in mind the legislative and regulatory issues that may arise.
